toner's Profile

So, um, as I have written in the blurb, this is my first nzGamer review. The reason that I have never written a review before is because I've always been linguistically (lingually?) challenged, that and I'm never been bored as heck.... until now.

EA's recent release 'Skate', is, well, a skate game. For those of you who have spent time with a keyboard or a controller in their hand for the most part of the last decade, you surely have at least had a dabbled in a 'Tony Hawk' game one time or another. Now, the sports-gaming juggernaut that is EA has cranked out a version of their own, and at the same time completely changed the way we perceive skate games outside the standard A-down-X to pop-shove it routine.

Instead, EA has utilised their boxing simulation 'Fight Night Round 3' control system and implemented onto SKATE somewhat seamlessly (called 'Flick-It'). The right analog stick is your control on the board, so an ollie is down-up on the right stick, for example, and a kickflip is down-up-and to the left (or right, if you're goofy), etc, etc. It take some time to figure the system out (which I had to sit down and think about how I can translate the movements of the stick to the movement of the board - if you're still not sure look up the website, hopefully it'll give you an idea). But, after you get the hang of it., it's a truck-load of fun (get it? truck? like the trucks on a board? Ah forget it)

The layout and approach to the game has been less time-consuming (albeit the loading screens) than its Tony Hawk counterpart (I do have to point out that I'm comparing it to project 8 somewhat, but not Proving Ground), with a subway system that can get you from A to B easily, as well as jumping to hotspots immediately. Not only that, you can set waypoints to initiate "sessions" (Now, I'd like to see EA allow users to save hotspots around the map so we can jump to a hotspt for a session, say, a 16-set that we'll want to work on daily)

The other aspect I have to input my two cents worth is that the skater can not get off his/her board to save their life, which can get frustrating as I've spent countless minutes looking like a muppet by doing disaster/boardslides on the curb when all I wanted to do is to get over onto the friggin' sidewalk.

Mind you, I have only spent two or three days playing this game, so I haven't had in-depth gameplay to comment further. But I hope it has swayed your decision to acquire this game.
All in all, if you didn't like the review, whatever. I just spend the last half an hour writing this review, the other alternative was to watch good morning, and when it came down to it, I made the right call.